Audio-visual (AV) displays generally support at least two speakers where audio signals can be independently delivered to each of the speakers to produce a multi-channel sound field. Some displays have speakers built as part of the display and thus cannot be physically relocated by a user. A user may place two or more displays, for example in a side by side or a stacked configuration, to improve work productivity by having an extended desktop area as well as to gain wider area of vision for multimedia entertainment.
A listener may experience an inferior acoustics quality when multiple displays are placed side by side and the respective speakers generate sound based on audio signals delivered to the speakers. For the purpose of illustration, FIG. 1 is block diagram with audio signals channeled to two displays according to an example of the prior art. First display 100 is placed on the left side of second display 110. First display 100 includes left speaker L1 and right speaker R1 while second display 110 includes left speaker L2 and right speaker R2. When audio signals, for example, in a stereo audio stream consisting of left channel IL and right channel IR are delivered to displays 100, 110, left speakers L1, L2 will produce sound OL from left channel IL while right speakers R1, R2 will produce sound OR from right channel IR. The close proximity between right speaker R1 of first display 100 and left speaker L2 of second display 110 distorts the stereo sound effect and delivers an inferior and possibly annoying acoustics to a listener.
A listener may avoid the inferior acoustics described above by disabling either both speakers L1, R1 of first display 100 or both speakers L2, R2 of second display 110. Alternatively, a listener may disable both right speaker R1 of first display 100 and left speaker L2 of second display 110. Such manual intervention underutilizes the aggregate potential of all the speakers to deliver a multi-channel sound field. A listener may also avoid the inferior acoustics by physically placing first display 100 above second display 110 or vice versa. Stacked displays may not be desirable to a listener particularly when a listener prefers to place the displays on the same plane of sight or the displays are setup on a common support such as a workstation.